SPARC

Leslie Johnson WA4EEZ SK

By Pat AAØO on 08/30/2023

I’m sad to report that we were informed that Leslie Johnson WA4EEZ became a silent key last week. Leslie was a club board member in 2005 and was later that year voted in as VP when the president resigned and positions were adjusted. She served as VP in 2006 and then served as club President in 2007 & 2008, after which she was given the President Emeritus title. In 2013, Leslie completed the impressive Worked All Counties award, working all 3,077 counties in the US. Leslie enjoyed contesting, particularly RTTY and I often saw her callsign on FT8. She was my first local HF contact just a few days after I got my license. She also ran the net on 6 meters. She will be missed.

Here is Leslie’s bio that she wrote for the SPARC Gap newsletter in March 2008:

I was first licensed in December, 1961–got my Novice and Technician at the same time…I had fun building my Novice rig: Heathkit HX-11. Wonder of wonders, it worked well!! Immediately got on 6 Meters with a Clegg 99’er (8 watts) and enjoyed the many 6 Meter openings at the time…and before long, the contest bug bit, and I entered the 1963 CQ World Wide VHF Contest…came in first in the Florida section…no computers in those days, and I recall spending many, many hours getting that log prepared for submission!

Got my General in 1977..13 wpm code and all, at the Orlando Hamfest that year…I automatically tried to adjust the key, and it all fell apart…talk about embarrassment and stress!! Fortunately, the examiner was a cool dude, and I got back on track! Had a long layoff from ham radio from about 1978 until 1999 (too busy working!!)…then Jim, W4APV talked my OM Roger(K4SHI) into setting up a station again, I heard HC8N on 10m, worked him, and I was off to the races.

My main radio enjoyment comes from rag-chewing and paper-chasing…also enjoy working towards many different awards, and my casual contesting contributes nicely to that! I had set a goal when I started back up in 1999, to get my basic DXCC by the end of 2000..finished it up on time Dec 18, 2000 (all 10m phone). Still working on it, of course!!

The modes I use are SSB, RTTY, PSK, Hellschreiber( HELL), and a little CW…

From David KR4U:

I met Leslie and Roger around 1999 or 2000 at the SPARC Club meetings at the American Red Cross in Saint Petersburg. She was quite active in the 10-10 organization in which I also enjoyed so we had some common ground from the start. In August 2002 a SPARC member, N9MIU Mark, suggested a possible DXpedition to Egmont Key to put the island and lighthouse on the air. After weeks of administrative red tape, we were finally allowed an overnight stay on the island. On November 9 and 10, 2002 13 SPARC members including Leslie and Roger put Egmont on the air, made many contacts and had a great time. Also in 2002 I started using a new mode called PSK-31. My good friend Ron Hall KP2N (SK) and I put on a demonstration.at a club meeting and Leslie was very interested and wanted to get on the new mode. I helped her along and we both ended up joining the 070 PSK-31 Club which has many events and contests throughout the year. We worked many events and had a great time competing against each other. In around 2004 SPARC had a very active contest group and Leslie liked to work SSB, had a great time, and attracted lots of QSO’s. KP2N and I got Leslie started on RTTY and she instantly fell in love with that mode, it became her all-time favorite contesting mode. We helped her get setup on her home station and I helped her get up on WriteLog contesting software. She was very applicative of any help we could give her. My XYL Veronika, KC4YAW, and Leslie spent many all-night chatting sessions during SPARC field days at Bay Pines. We both miss her after a better that 20-year friendship.

David KR4U and Veronika KC4YAW

Leslie WA4EEZ – Electronics Illustrated May 1963

Bob N2ESP makes contacts while Leslie WA4EEZ looks on…

Leslie WA4EEZ enjoying her run on 15M [N2ESPhoto]

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North American QSO Party Side Band Results!

By Tom Schaeffer W4CU on 08/22/2023

SPARC had another successful effort in the August 19, 2023 NAQP SSB contest. The W4TA team worked a total of 873 QSO’s in 12 hours for a score of 136,118 points. The score was the second highest of Florida Contest Group Multi Two entries exceeded only by a group in the Virgin Islands. Looking at the 3080’s reported M/2 entries, W4TA was 11 out of 20 in the category.

SPARC operators were: AA2MF, WD8MIU, K04WPO, KQ4DVG, KQ4DXM, KA4IOX and W4CU. Special thanks to W7WFS who worked on raising the tower, and AA2MF for operating 6 hours filling in for missing operators as well as supervising, training, trouble shooting, and setting up the the station and necessary logging programs.

The station also had 3 visitors, one who tested a home repaired transceiver from the 1960’s on the club antennas before the contest, one who is working on his technician license, and one interested in amateur radio. Also Bob KD4QNS stopped by Sunday when the tower was being lowered and toured the station.

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SPARC Club Station Open to All Members and Visitors August 19.

By Tom Schaeffer W4CU on 08/17/2023

SPARC will activate the club station for the National QSO Party SSB (NAQP SSB) contest on Saturday August 19. The contest begins at 2:00 pm and runs for 12 hours. Sign ups for operating have been completed. The station will be open to interested club members, hams, non-hams, family and friends to see the station in action, learn about contest operation, or help out. For additional information, contact Tom W4CU at tjsw4cu@aol.com

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SPARC NAQP RTTY 2023 Results!

By Zack KO4WPO on 07/17/2023

SPARC Participated in the NAQP RTTY Contest Saturday, and we’re proud to share our scores!

At the time of posting, SPARC is 18th place by score of ALL scores in the world, 5th place overall in our class (multi-op multi-transmitter), and 1st of the stations submitted under the Florida Contest Group!

Here’s our score summary, and you can view the results of the contest so far here

https://www.3830scores.com/currecscores.php?arg=35csc3z1vmqil

North American QSO Party, RTTY - July

Call: W4TA
Operator(s): AA2MF W4CU KO4WPO W7WMS W1EES WD8MIU KQ4DXM KN4YQC KR4U KF4TYA KD4CEE KA4IOX AB4YI KD2UDU
Station: W4TA

Class: M/2 LP
QTH: FL
Operating Time (hrs): 12

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
   80:    8     5
   40:  165    37
   20:  324    52
   15:  164    39
   10:    1     1
-------------------
Total:  662   134  Total Score = 88,708

Club: Florida Contest Group

Thanks to all who participated or helped facilitate this contest!

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SPARC’S next Operating Event will use Radio Teletype

By Tom Schaeffer W4CU on 07/08/2023

Original RTTY — Classic Teletype Machine with paper output now replaced by computer program and screen

Radio teletype or RTTY is easy to learn and fun to use. The club will be entering the North American QSO Party RTTY event which starts at 2:00 pm Eastern on Saturday July 15 and runs for 12 hours. Like all our Operating Events this is open to all members. We will be entering in the Multioperator Two-Transmitter (M2) division so there will be operating time for everyone even trainees new to RTTY. Visitors are welcome.

The Exchange is just a name and state. Of course we will use Florida for our state. This year we will use the name Jack to honor the memory of Jack W1BBU who worked on the new station construction, has been a key operator at club events and a friend to all of us.

Detailed information and event Rules can be found at:
https://www.ncjweb.com/NAQP-Rules.pdf

If you are interested in participating please contact Tom W4CU at: tjsw4cu@aol.com

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SPARC Field Day Video

By Ed NZ1Q on 07/04/2023

The video covering most of the efforts by the SPARC operators was captured by 3 participants and put together in a short video on the SPARC YouTube channel.

Video Here